TODAY'S BIG CAT NEWS

The hunt for British Big Cats attracts far more newspaper-column inches than any other cryptozoological subject. 

There are so many of them now that we feel that they should be archived by us in some way, so we are publishing a regular round-up of the stories as they come in. 

The worldwide mystery cat phenomenon (or group of phenomena, if we are to be more accurate) is not JUST about cryptozoology. At its most basic level it is about the relationship between our species and various species of larger cat. That is why sometimes you will read stories here that appear to have nothing to do with cryptozoology but have everything to do with human/big cat interaction. As committed Forteans, we believe that until we understand the nature of these interactions, we have no hope of understanding the truth that we are seeking.

• NEWSLINK: Wild cat defies its instincts to 'seek o...
• NEWSLINK: Despite rumors, cougars officially extin...
• SIGHTING? UK: The Panther of Probus could be the n...

THE GONZO BLOG DOO-DAH MAN DISLIKES THE BANKERS

The Gonzo Daily: Wednesday

http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/about.html

So why is tomorrow's blog posts going up this evening? Wehave had a very surreal day culminating in Graham taking a chainsaw apart in the sitting room whilst Mother looks on in interest. Graham needs access to my computers tomorrow morning and we are filming in the afternoon, so by doing the blogs early I can havce a bit of respite...

ciaou....

Forgive me for always banging on about our webTV show, but it matters a lot to me, and I would be grateful for as many people as possible to see it, and spread the tidings of it far and wide:

Ep 87 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yi8BzaT3sCc&t=2s

Ep 86 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdAn24MkErs&t=67s

EP 85 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8E82xG502cA&t=21s

EP 84 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7rDGbLdYxc&t=3s

EP 83 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9lr_j2Ij8Q

EP 82 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iP_Pii7ZF8

And if you fancy supporting us on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/CFZ

But for now, here is the news:

http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/thom-world-poet-daily-poem_6.html

THOM THE WORLD POET: The Daily Poem

http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/the-gonzo-track-of-day-dmitri.html

THE GONZO TRACK OF THE DAY: Dmitri Shostakovich - ...

http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/iain-matthews-news.html

IAIN MATTHEWS NEWS

http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/leonard-cohen-in-news-again.html

LEONARD COHEN IN THE NEWS AGAIN

http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/bill-bruford-news.html

BILL BRUFORD NEWS

Gonzo Weekly #272

THE GUDBUY T'GEORGE ISSUE

http://www.gonzoweekly.com/

In this poignant issue, Tim bids a fond farewell to his friend George Butler of the Pink Fairies who died this week, John investigates Op Art, Richard writes about Mickey Hart, late of the Grateful Dead, Graham about Hawkwind, the saga of Xtul comes to an end for now, and Jon feels blessed by the comfort of strangers.

Hail Eris!

And there are radio shows from Strange Fruit, AND Friday Night Progressive, AND Mack Maloney. TheRE ARE columns from all sorts of folk including Neil Nixon, Roy Weard, C J Stone, Mr Biffo AND the irrepressible Corinna. There is also a collection of more news, reviews, views, interviews and southern dibblers who have gone for a snooze (OK, nothing to do with small marsupials who have probably got hangovers and have decided to have a little rest, but I got carried away with things that rhymed with OOOOS) than you can shake a stick at. And the best part is IT's ABSOLUTELY FREE!!!

This issue features:

George Harrison, Phillip Glass, Jon Anderson, Prince, Elton John, Joey Molland, John Payne, Dukes of the Orient, Erik Norlander, Strange Fruit, Friday Night Progressive, Mack Maloney's Mystery Hour, Asmund Bjorken, Eddie Shaw, Heinz Jakob "Coco" Schumann, Grant Fell, Neil Harris, Reese Francis "Buzz"  Clifford III, Floyd Miles, David Holland, Hannah Hauxwell, George Butler, Barbara Dixon, Jessica Lee Morgan, Rick Wakeman, Billion Dollar Babies, Tangerine Dream, Tim Rundall, John Brodie-Good, Bridget Riley, Jim Lambie, Victor Vasarely, Richard Foreman, Mickey Hart, Kev Rowland, Isenordal, Jason Paul Curtis, Jeff Dingler, Jessica Wolff, Mr Biffo, Roy Weard, Hawkwind, Xtul, Martin Springett, John Lennon, Elvis, Cream,

Eric Clapton, Pink Floyd

And the last few issues are:

Issue 271 (Mark E Smith)

http://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo271.html

Issue 270 (Eric Clapton)

http://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo270.html

Issue 269 (Narnia)

http://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo269.html

Issue 267-8 (Happy New Year)

http://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo267-8.html

Issue 265-6 (The Who)

http://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo265-6.html

Issue 264 (John McLaughlin)

http://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo264.html

Issue 263 (The magic Band)

http://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo263.html

Issue 262 (DikMik)

http://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo262.html

Issue 261 (Leonard Cohen)

http://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo261.html

Issue 260 (Amsterdam Squat Festie)

http://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo260.html

Issue 259 (Out come thee Freaks)

http://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo259.html

Issue 258 (The Devil's Jukebox)

http://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo258.html

Issue 257 (Judge Smith)

http://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo257.html

Issue 255/6 (John Lennon)

http://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo255-6.html

Issue 254 (Mr Biffo)

http://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo254.html

Issue 253 (Dana Gillespie)

http://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo253.html

Issue 252 (Cropredy)

http://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo252.html

Issue 251 (Scott Walker)

http://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo251.html

Issue 250 (Jamms)

http://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo250.html

Issue 249 (Bill Bruford)

http://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo249.html

Issue 248 (The Selecter)

http://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo248.html

Issue 247 (Don Airey)

http://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo247.html

Issue 246 (Steve Hackett)

http://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo246.html

Issue 244-5 (Summer Special)

http://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo244-5.html

All issues from #70 can be downloaded at www.gonzoweekly.com if you prefer. If you have problems downloading, just email me and I will add you to the Gonzo Weekly dropbox. The first 69 issues are archived there as well. Information is power chaps, we have to share it!

You can download the magazine in pdf form HERE:

http://www.gonzoweekly.com/pdf/

SPECIAL NOTICE: If you, too, want to unleash the power of your inner rock journalist, and want to join a rapidly growing band of likewise minded weirdos please email me at jon@eclipse.co.uk The more the merrier really.

* The Gonzo Daily is a two way process. If you have any news or want to write for us, please contact me at jon@eclipse.co.uk. If you are an artist and want to showcase your work, or even just say hello please write to me at gonzo@cfz.org.uk. Please copy, paste and spread the word about this magazine as widely as possible. We need people to read us in order to grow, and as soon as it is viable we shall be invading more traditional magaziney areas. Join in the fun, spread the word, and maybe if we all chant loud enough we CAN stop it raining. See you tomorrow...

* The Gonzo Daily is - as the name implies - a daily online magazine (mostly) about artists connected to the Gonzo Multimedia group of companies. But it also has other stuff as and when the editor feels like it. The same team also do a weekly newsletter called - imaginatively - The Gonzo Weekly. Find out about it at this link: www.gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.co.uk

* We should probably mention here, that some of our posts are links to things we have found on the internet that we think are of interest. We are not responsible for spelling or factual errors in other people's websites. Honest guv!

* Jon Downes, the Editor of all these ventures (and several others) is an old hippy of 58 who - together with a Jack Russell called Archie, an infantile orange cat named after a song by Frank Zappa, and two half grown kittens, one totally coincidentally named after one of the Manson Family, purely because she squeaks, puts it all together from a converted potato shed in a tumbledown cottage deep in rural Devon which he shares with various fish. He is ably assisted by his lovely wife Corinna, his bulldog/boxer Prudence, his elderly mother-in-law, and a motley collection of social malcontents. Plus.. did we mention Archie and the Cats?

BHM STUDY GROUP UPDATES

There is some confusion following my announcement last week that Glen Vaudrey and Colin Schneider are now running the CFZ BHM Study Group. One commentator posted that she was very pleased that the CFZ were now studying such things.

The CFZ have always studied such things and there has been a BHM Study Group since 2002. It has, however, been in abeyance for a few years due to the illness and subsequent death of the original coordinator. The group is not just studying either British phenomena or zooform phenomena. The idea is to act as a clearing house and to promote research – using the scientific method – into all BHM phenomena, whether it be physical or parapsychological in origin.

I would urge everyone who is interested in joining in such research to get in touch with Glen or Colin, or – conversely – with me, and I will pass your messages on.

Good luck chaps and chapesses.

POWLERS PIECE CARCASS UPDATES

Just to keep you all updated, on the 12^th of January this year, Graham, Charlotte and I took a party of journalists and videogame executives to two locations in North Devon, where there have been a string of sightings of alleged big cats over the last few years. At the second of these, a dismembered sheep skeleton was found by Mike Levaggi of Hope and Glory Publicity. The skeleton has been examined by Charlotte, and by Carl Marshall. These two preliminary examinations have yielded the following results:

•  The skeleton appears to be of an elderly sheep, as seen by the wear on its teeth. In our opinion, is would have been too large to have been carried off by a fox. 
•   If the predator had been a domestic dog, the animal would have been torn apart in situ
• There is no sign that either primary or secondary predation by a badger has taken place. There is not enough damage to the bones to suggest this.
• There are no signs of human interference; cut marks from a hatchet or knife. Therefore, we can conclude it was not butchered. The fact that the skeleton was found in a small thicket adjoining a road, at least a quarter of a mile from the nearest sheep, would confirm this.
• There are bite marks on the skeleton at various points. These have been photographed and sent to Lars Thomas for his instructions as to what we do next.
• The muzzle of the skull was damaged and it appears to have been done in a similar fashion to other skulls supposedly of creatures killed by big cats, who have clamped their jaws over the muzzle of their victim in order to subdue it by suffocation.
• Graham and Carl have deployed a trail cam inside the thicket. The thicket is apparently part of a well-used animal road-crossing track, and it will be interesting to find out what animals habitually use this path.
• None of this evidence is conclusive, but it is interesting and does support the hypothesis that there is at least one non-native predator at large in the Powler’s Piece area of North Devon.

CARL AND OLIVIA FOR THE MYSTERY CAT STUDY GROUP

As you may have noticed, we are in the middle of the biggest shake up that the CFZ has had in some years. 

Last week, I announced that Glen Vaudrey and Colin Schneider are taking over the CFZ BHM study group. Now, it is the turn of our other dedicated study group: the Mystery Cat Study Group. 

This was the first of our study groups, but none of the people that have been in charge of it have ever worked out the way that I have hoped. 

However, I am pleased to announce that – effective immediately – Carl Marshall is taking over the study group. Olivia, who has been running the big cat news aggregator for the last 18 months will carry on doing so, and will basically be helping Carl make the CFZ Big Cat Study Group an outfit to be reckoned with!

Good luck chaps!

THE LAST WEEK AT THE CFZ-USA BLOG

NEW MALE STICK INSECT

KIM WILDE FEARS ALIEN ABDUCTION

BROWN AND WHITE GIANT PANDAS

BIGFOOT SIGHTINGS 2018

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MAMMOTH AND MASTODON

WHAT IS THE MAPINGUARI?

SURVIVING MAMMOTHS AND MASTODONS

WINGED BEING IN FLORIDA

UNKNOWN SPIDER DISCOVERED IN AMBER

PATRICK: BIGFOOT-HUMAN HYBRID

STICKMEN: PARANORMAL PHENOMENON

CHUPACABRAS OF UKRAINE

MYTH OF THE THUNDERBIRD

DOGS OF CHERNOBYL

ARE THERE DINOSAURS IN BOLIVIA?

DOGMAN IN SWEDEN

BIGFOOT ON THE HIGHWAY

BIGFOOT IN UTAH

MARYLAND GOATMAN

YEREN - WILDMAN OF CHINA

TERRIFYING HUMANOID AT AIR FORCE BASE

GHILLIE DHU - SCOTTISH SPIRIT

IROQUOIS LITTLE PEOPLE

BIGFOOT IN THE SWAMP

SIGHTINGS OF WINGED HUMANOIDS

SEA-SERPENTS 1850-59

WERE THERE GIANTS IN AMERICA?

DOGMAN OF COFFEE ROAD

BIGFOOT WATCHES HUNTER

BLOCKNESS MONSTER

VIRIONS WITH WEIRD DNA

COLORADO VIDEO

ABADA - TWO-HORNED UNICORN

TEENAGER'S BIGFOOT SIGHTING

J'BA FOFI - CRYPTID SPIDER

MONSTERS IN TUNNELS

SHADOW PEOPLE - NOT GHOSTS?

WENDIGO - 12 ALLEGED FACTS

MISSING PEOPLE IN STATE PARKS

GENUINE DOGMAN PHOTO?

NEWS FROM NOWHERE: Wednesday

ON THIS DAY IN - 1900 - The Holland Senate ratified the 1899 peace conference decree that created in international arbitration court at The Hague. 
And now some more recent news from the CFZ Newsdesk

Why don't turtles still have tail spikes?

Mantis shrimp size each other up before ceding a f...

Frogs Tote Tiny Radios to Save Their Species – via...

New Jaguar Frog Discovered on Abandoned Highway –

AND TO WHISTLE WHILE YOU WORK... (Music that may have some relevance to items also on this page, or may just reflect my mood on the day).